Consumers have access to a wide variety of portable electronic devices that are generally designed for use by a single person including, for example, laptop computers, desktop computers, cell phones, and smart phones, among others. These electronic devices frequently contain an embedded camera that can point toward a user of the device. These cameras allow the capturing and recording of images or videos by the user, and sometimes of the user in particular circumstances. For example, a camera embedded in a laptop can capture the image (still or dynamic) of a user for display while engaged in video chat or conferencing. In this configuration, participants in a call or conference receive audio data coupled with video data from each participant.
Cameras are also embedded in portable electronic device so that a user can take pictures, including of him/herself. An example of this is a user taking his or her own picture using the Photo Booth program available from Apple, Inc. Further, an operator of an electronic device including an embedded camera can program the camera to take pictures at specific time intervals allowing the creation of time-lapse photography.
Portable electronic devices that are generally designed for use by a single person typically utilize two-dimensional imagery on the user interface screen. The present disclosure appreciates that the provision of three-dimensional images on the user interface screens would also provide a benefit. In order to make these three-dimensional images more engaging, it has also been appreciated that if the user were able to “look around” the image, those images would be considered more interesting. That is to say, if the user is looking at a 3D image of a sculpture on the user interface screen, for instance, and desired to look at the right side (relative to the user) of the displayed sculpture, it would be of great interest to the user for the image of that right side of the sculpture to be displayed on cue by the user. In this context, if the actual sculpture was being observed and the user wanted to view its right side, the user would move their head to the right and peer left. The present disclosure capitalizes on this natural behavior and governs the presentation of images based on the relative position and orientation of the users head and/or eyes relative to the user interface screen when three-dimensional appearing images are being displayed.